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Recipe: Creamy Pine Island Onion Soup
Time: About 2 hours.

Ingredients:

1/2 pound (16 tablespoons) unsalted butter

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

3 pounds yellow onions, peeled, trimmed, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced

1 teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, more to taste

2 cups dry white wine such as pinot grigio

1 pint heavy cream

1 small bunch of chives, thinly sliced

Croutons for garnish (optional).

1. In a large stock pot with a heavy bottom, melt butter with olive oil over low heat until frothy. Add onions, salt and black pepper and saute slowly, stirring frequently, taking care not to let onions brown, until they are completely soft and tender, about 1 hour.

2. Add wine, turn heat to medium, and simmer until reduced by a half (about 1/2 hour). Add heavy cream and cook over low heat until reduced by a third (about 1/2 hour).

3. Transfer soup in batches to a food processor or blender, and purée until smooth. Transfer soup to a large, clean pot, return to serving temperature over low heat, and season to taste with salt and black pepper. Serve in bowls, garnished with a sprinkle of chives, and croutons, if desired.

Yield: 6 servings.

Agri-Tourism in the Hudson Valley

The Hudson Valley is in the middle of the burgeoning agri-tourism industry blossoming in the exurbs north and west of New York City. Manager Ryan Zygmunt notes that the Culinary Institute of America, the Black Dirt produce region, artisan bakeries, dairies, the Shawangunk Wine Trail and fruit orchards are increasingly attracting food lovers to the Hudson Valley. "Foodies around the tri-state area have begun to appreciate what we have known for years," says Zygmunt adding, "Cuisine designed around the finest, freshest locally produced ingredients have advantages in flavor, freshness and quality." A completely new generation of diners is discovering places like the Crystal Inn offering this field-to-table experience. Source: Starchefs.com

Long-lived restaurants usually employ one of two distinct strategicv plans, enabling them to stay inbusiness in an increasingly competitive marketplace. The first is to discover and stick with a successful formula that endears them to their customers. The second is to update their menu and ambiance to stay current with changing tastes and times. This doesn't mean reinventing yourseld so much as evolving with new ideas while preserving some of the things that have always been popular. Crystal Inn in Warwick is a perfect example of the second approach, and the result is impressive. Read complete review in Times Herald-Record newspaper>>